Current:Home > MarketsA roller coaster was shut down after a crack was found in a support beam. A customer says he spotted it. -MoneyBase
A roller coaster was shut down after a crack was found in a support beam. A customer says he spotted it.
View
Date:2025-04-17 12:31:43
An amusement park in Charlotte, North Carolina, closed one of its roller coasters Friday after a crack was found on a support beam.
Carowinds shut down Fury 325, which the park's website advertises as the "tallest, fastest, longest giga coaster in North America" that crosses into both North Carolina and South Carolina.
Video of the ride showed the crack in the beam as cars packed with riders whizzed by.
Park patron Jeremy Wagner told CBS Charlotte, N.C. affiliate WBTV he was the one who spotted the crack and took the video.
He said he was waiting for his kids to finish one last ride on the coaster when, "I look up and I see a light come through the pole."
When the next car came by, he pulled out his phone and videoed it.
Wagner told WBTV what he saw when he played it back sent a shock through his chest.
"When the car came by," he said, "I saw (the beam) move."
Posted by Jeremy Wagner on Friday, June 30, 2023
(Credit: Jeremy Wagner via Storyful)
He told The New York Times that as he was shooting the video, "My hands were shaking because I knew how quick this could be catastrophic."
Wagner told WBTV he immediately showed the video to park security to have them shut the ride but didn't get a clear answer on whether park officials would. But Wagner eventually called the fire department and learned that his video did indeed prompt the shutdown of the Fury.
"My heart was like relieved because I was just afraid ... are they gonna do the right thing? I just didn't want to see something bad happen," he remarked to WBTV.
"It takes one time, just one time" for tragedy to strike, he said.
Tiffany Collins Newton told CBS News that on June 24, she took a photo that appeared to show "the beginnings of the crack" on the roller coaster. She said she did not notice the crack until after the ride was closed on Friday and she zoomed in on her recent photos.
The park said in a statement that it shut the ride "after park personnel became aware of a crack at the top of a steel support pillar. The park's maintenance team is conducting a thorough inspection and the ride will remain closed until repairs have been completed. Safety is our top priority and we appreciate the patience and understanding of our valued guests during this process.
"As part of our comprehensive safety protocols," the statement continued, "all rides, including Fury 325, undergo daily inspections to ensure their proper functioning and structural integrity."
Fury 325 first opened to the public in 2015 and cost approximately $30 million to build, according to news reports.
Carowinds didn't say how long repairs would take. The rest of the park will remain open.
State officials said they were going to inspect the ride Monday.
veryGood! (63)
Related
- 'Vanderpump Rules' star DJ James Kennedy arrested on domestic violence charges
- Jamie Lee Curtis Has the Ultimate Response to Lindsay Lohan Giving Birth to Her First Baby
- The Solar Industry Gained Jobs Last Year. But Are Those Good Jobs, and Could They Be Better?
- Students and Faculty at Ohio State Respond to a Bill That Would Restrict College Discussions of Climate Policies
- What do we know about the mysterious drones reported flying over New Jersey?
- Q&A: Kate Beaton Describes the Toll Taken by Alberta’s Oil Sands on Wildlife and the Workers Who Mine the Viscous Crude
- Revisit Ariana Grande and Dalton Gomez's Love Story After Their Break Up
- How Daniel Ellsberg Opened the Door to One of the Most Consequential Climate Stories of Our Time
- Toyota to invest $922 million to build a new paint facility at its Kentucky complex
- Gigi Hadid Released After Being Arrested for Marijuana in Cayman Islands
Ranking
- Alex Murdaugh’s murder appeal cites biased clerk and prejudicial evidence
- Sofía Vergara and Joe Manganiello Break Up After 7 Years of Marriage
- Save 41% On Philosophy Dry Shampoo and Add Volume and Softness to Your Hair
- Emily Blunt Reveals Cillian Murphy’s Strict Oppenheimer Diet
- Costco membership growth 'robust,' even amid fee increase: What to know about earnings release
- Federal Hydrogen Program Is Cutting Out Local Groups, Threatening Climate Goals, Advocates Say
- This 2-In-1 Pillow and Blanket Set Is the Travel Must-Have You Need in Your Carry-On
- The Financial Sector Is Failing to Estimate Climate Risk, Say Two Groups in the UK
Recommendation
Military service academies see drop in reported sexual assaults after alarming surge
Secretive State Climate Talks Stir Discontent With Pennsylvania Governor
Dylan Sprouse Marries Barbara Palvin After 5 Years Together
Wildfire Haze Adds To New York’s Climate Change Planning Needs
Trump suggestion that Egypt, Jordan absorb Palestinians from Gaza draws rejections, confusion
CBS New York Meteorologist Elise Finch Dead at 51
As Extreme Fires Multiply, California Scientists Zero In on How Smoke Affects Pregnancy and Children
RHONY's Bethenny Frankel and Jill Zarin Have Epic Reunion 13 Years After Feud